1. Technical Field
This device relates to commercial ink jet printers and their related disposable ink jet printing cartridges. More specifically to the automated ink cartridge refill systems for the disposable print cartridges that refill the print cartridge maintaining the hydro-dynamic properties of the cartridge required for proper printing performance.
2. Description of Prior Art
Ink jet printing cartridges and printers are well known wherein once the ink supply within the cartridge is depleted, print quality is affected and the cartridge typically fails and must be replaced. Heretofore, the print cartridges are simply replaced, as noted, being of a disposable design. However, ink jet printing cartridges print heads can still function if re-supplied with ink thus increasing the productive capacity and longevity. Prior art disposable ink jet printing cartridges guarantee that high performance and quality printing is maintained by continually replacing the cartridge at predetermined intervals based on ink usage by removing and discarding the cartridge.
Prior art ink jet printing cartridge refill systems have been developed to refill the cartridges either independently after removal or during use. Such systems typically have a supply of ink interconnected to the ink jet printing cartridge so that the printing cartridge can be refilled and used; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,917,515, 6,007,190 and 6,164,766.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,515, an ink jet printing cartridge having a back-up ink jet nozzle regulation device which utilizes a bellows pump that cyclically clears the nozzle of performance diminishing obstructions which accumulate during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,190 is directed to an ink supply system for an ink printer having large volume ink containers. An ink jet printer has a large ink reservoir mounted in the printer interconnected to a multiple remote ink jet printing heads each having small ink capacity reservoirs. Ink is supplied to the printing heads via supply tubing interconnected thereto. An advantage is claimed in that by storing all of the ink away from the print head reduced print head weight is achieved thus better functioning of the printer which requires back and forth oscillation of the carriage which carries the multiple print cartridges.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,766 claims an automated ink refill system for disposable ink jet cartridges. An external ink reservoir is interconnected to a remote ink jet cartridge by a flexible supply tube. Once the ink supply within the ink jet cartridge reaches a predetermined level, the cartridge is refilled from the reservoir in an ongoing operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,197 discloses an improvement to the above referred U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,190 introducing a portion of the ink jet cartridge as being transparent to allow visual monitoring of the ink level therewithin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,485 Rezanka directed towards a thermal ink jet printing system with continuous ink circulation through a print head.
U.S. Patent Publication 2004/0090501 A1 is directed to a complex multiple ink supply tank system for recharging an ink jet printing head. The system addresses the problems associated with such multiple tank systems and the utilization defined thereby.